For first-timers to India, a great region to visit is in the North along the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle connects Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. In this area, you’ll get to see first hand what India is all about. Here are some things you can do on your first visit.

Take a walk in Old Delhi. Stroll through the streets and get a pretty good idea of what life is like in India. There are many locals selling their goods in the markets along the avenues. It is quite hectic and crowded but everywhere you look there is something that intrigues you. My first day in India walking in Old Delhi, my thoughts were I had never seen such chaos and beauty at the same time. Everywhere I looked it was colourful and vibrant whether it was clothing shops or a farmer’s freshly picked vegetables laid out neatly in an array.

Visit a temple. Tourists are welcome into temples to observe and be immersed along with the locals. With respect, you will take off your shoes and cover your head with a garment before entering. It is quite a site to see how delightful a temple is inside. It is a spectacular dwelling place for those who drop in.

Explore the Pink City (Jaipur). There’s much to see and do in Jaipur including City Palace, Amber Fort, and viewing Hawa Mahal. Out of all of the Golden Triangle route I sought, my favourite markets to walk through were in Jaipur. They were so dynamic and all of your senses will be awakened.

See the Taj Mahal. You can’t go to India without seeing the Taj Mahal. You just can’t! It is one of the most recognized buildings in the world and for good reason – it’s that incredible. Learn about the story of how it came to be and walk the grounds of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Watch the traffic. There’s traffic. Lots and lots of traffic. I was extremely intrigued by the Agra traffic as Agra is a smaller city with a vast population. Not to fear though – the locals will make do with narrow streets. You’ll be amazed at how they manage to plow through all the transport clutter. At one point, I saw about 10 people in an auto rickshaw which normally can fit 3-4 comfortably. I observed a very small truck merging into traffic that had dozens of sacks of rice on the back of the pickup that was more in length and width put together than the truck itself. In my mind, I’m thinking how do they do it? When you believe there’s the impossible, just look at the traffic in India and you’ll realize anything is possible.